The attempt to kill Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic last Saturday has not weakened his zeal to become governor of Lanao del Sur via the May 9 electoral exercise.

Salic, most known as “Pre” in Marawi City, on Wednesday said nothing at this time can stop him from his candidacy for governor of Lanao del Sur, which covers 39 towns scattered in two congressional districts.

Relatives said the ambush Salic survived through, with bullet wounds in his body, strengthened even more the commitment of thousands of campaigners scattered across Lanao del Sur to help him win the post.

Salic and his driver, Kaer Gunting, were both hurt when gunmen opened fire with AK-47 Kalashnikovs and M-16 rifles on their vehicle near the Pryce Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City before dawn Saturday.

The wounded mayor has bounced back from hospital confinement, now presiding over dialogues with supporters to personally disprove spreading stories he had been physically incapacitated as a result of the ambush and might even back out from the gubernatorial race due to his condition.

Salic is contesting the candidacy for Lanao del Sur governor of Soraya Adiong, mother of now third termer, outgoing Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr. and a third candidate, Congressman Pangalian Balindong.

Gov. Adiong has condemned the attempt on Salic’s life and urged residents of Marawi City and Lanao del Sur to refrain from speculating on the incident and give police investigators enough time to identify the culprits.

In an official press communique, Gov. Adiong, presiding chairman of the Lanao del Sur provincial peace and order council, said he wants the incident resolved immediately by the police.

Supporters of Salic were visibly angered by text messages and stories spread around by certain groups purporting he will withdraw from the gubernatorial race as a consequence of Saturday’s attempt on his life.

One campaigner told Daily Zamboanga Times there is no truth to the hostile propaganda maligning Salic.

Relatives are convinced adversaries circulated the text messages stating that Salic was badly injured in the ambush and is, thus, no longer capable of managing the Lanao del Sur provincial government if elected.

The Catholic station dxMS in Cotabato City on Tuesday morning reported that investigators in the Northern Mindanao regional police office now have clues on the identities of the ambushers of Salic.

An official of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, who is related by blood to Salic, said the injured mayor will continue with his candidacy for governor despite his having nearly killed in what supporters believe was a politically-motivated attempt on his life.

“He is an emotionally-stable politician and does not run away from a good fight, a good race. He and his supporters are confident he will win,” said the ARMM official, who asked not to be identified in keeping with civil service regulations.